• One Healthy Lunch

    05/11/2014 - By 

    I am currently being forced to eat gluten so that my doctor can test me for Celiac disease. I eat it at breakfast and go for healthier, as-gluten-free-as-possible, delicious options through out the rest of the day. Today I wanted something that reminded me of a sandwich- but  without the bread. I didn’t come up with a new idea really, but this is a really delicious bread-free lunch you may want to try. I made my own variation. So here are the steps.   Ingredients: 1 fresh and ripe tomato cottage cheese 1 egg Sriracha sauce salt and pepper  …

  • November Means Christmas Planning

    04/11/2014 - By 

    Today feels like a Sunday. In our adorable fourth floor walk-up townhouse (that means stairs between every floor, if you’re wondering), my family is busy doing various things. My Husband worked from home today and the kids are home sick from school, which totally made it feel like a Sunday. We all spent most of the day in our pajamas (mine were pink plaid Hello Kitty ones, if you’re wondering) and the kids watched a lot of movies. My poor girl Izzy is suffering from a terrible cough and sore throat and now my poor boy Hunter has the cough…

  • Environmentally Conscious

    29/10/2014 - By 

    I am trying to compile a list of ways to be environmentally friendly, or more so!  Always use a re-useable water bottle and re-useable container whenever possible. Use a whiteboard to write notes, such as a grocery list. Take a photo with your phone to take with you or to send to the person running errands. We use this for shopping lists rather than using a note or lists app on our phone because it’s easier to add to and we always think of the list at home.(Plus less time spent on your phone is good for your eyes etc).…

  • Attempting to Use More Environmentally Friendly Products.

    22/10/2014 - By 

    There are no failures, only new beginnings! At least that’s how I see it. I didn’t work out as hard and as often as I normally do last week. I definitely snacked too much. But my drive is back this week. I even started doing yoga again. Tara Stiles is my yogi if I am limited on time. I love her YouTube videos and have pinned some on Pinterest for quick references. (I am City Mouse on Pinterest if you want to check it out). I started to do her Core Strength for Beginners 9 minute yoga video daily. What…

  • My Grade One Reading Corner

    18/10/2014 - By 

    Do you remember learning to read? I don’t really! I remember being three and a half and reading little words to my sister from picture books. My mom confirms this, so I am not crazy. To say it out loud sounds too young, but there I was, reading small words. I am sure that is quite common. I distinctly remember my grade one reading corner. Grade one seemed so daunting to me. A whole day around ‘strangers’. The reading nook was so comfortable and such a safe place for me to hang out. I felt at home there. When you…

  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, A Review

    15/10/2014 - By 

      This book is amazing. Some have described it as a “nergasm” and it’s a perfect description.   It’s a post-apocalyptic world and we on Earth have used up our non-renewable resources. Jobs are scarce and the poor get poorer as the rich get richer. Many live in “the stacks”, which is a terrifying mess of trailers in the trailer park stacked one on top of the other to conserve energy and space. Everyone spends all their time in the larger than life game-world of The Oasis, rather than in their depressing real world spaces. When the creator of The…

  • Little Nighttime Rituals

    08/10/2014 - By 

    Isabella is a sensitive kid, just as I was when I was little, and maybe still am. As a sensitive person in an unpredictable world, she needs a certain amount of routine she can count on. I started a new night time ritual just so she would have a nice transition in to sleep. It all started when we were building Lego as a family one Saturday afternoon and Isabella turned to us and said, “I have a secret I have been keeping for awhile, and some of it is bad.” Did your blood just run cold? Mine did! My…

  • An Alternative Exercise Mix

    24/09/2014 - By 

    I started doing exercise and running after a month long break. Between running days I lift weights on our weight bench in the basement. I definitely prefer the weight lifting days! I do cardio to round it out, of course. I always dread my cardio days but after it is all done I feel so much better, and it ends up being really fun. Most of the fun comes from the app I picked to get myself up to 5K- Zombies RUN! When I say I use an app that lets me run from zombies, people say “how cute” or…

  • Shirley by Charlotte Bronte: A Book Review

    17/09/2014 - By 

    What an arrogant novel with unlikeable characters. I tried to like this novel, I did.  I didn’t like this novel. (Obviously). This book surprised me. I LOVE Jane Eyre, and was expecting a similar work of genius and insightful entertainment in this novel. Sadly, I recommended reading this book to my Husband for our Two Person Book Club. I was so sure of her talent that I pushed for it and it was my Husband’s first Bronte novel. I regret this deeply. Shirley was the only entertaining and likeable character in this book. Even Shirley couldn’t hold my love though…

  • Community Gardens / Community Shared Agriculture

    Community Shared Agriculture and a Salsa Recipe

    04/09/2014 - By 

    I love our Community Shared Agriculture farm. We picked Eagle Creek Farms which is close to Calgary, AB, and is run by Farmer John and his family. They deliver the veggies and herbs weekly to a nearby farmer’s market. I don’t have a garden or a yard and a potted plant garden on my balcony can only yield so much. I don’t often get to the farmer’s markets so supporting a local farm and getting veggies once a week from them is a dream! I’ve made so many things. Here I used the cilantro to make salsa, cucumbers to make pickles,…